Is paying for quality writing really worth it?

In a recent Facebook group discussion the question arose regarding purchasing a book for twelve dollars and above. Is it really worth it?

We can go to the Kindle store and find countless books for a meager .99 on just about any topic. Why would I purchase a book in digital format like the one entitled “Youtility”  
for $16 when similar ones are available for just .99 Kindle Edition. The following is a great answer by freelance writer Steve Maurer. 

“The last 15 or so books have run between $8 to $20. To be honest, price is the last thing I look at. The content and author’s authority are most important to me. Here’s my reasoning for buying this $13 eBook (and others I have purchased):

1. I know, like and trust this author (sound familiar?). I respect the author…and will support him. If I get just one content marketing article post from using its information, I will have made well over 10 to 12 times the price, probably more. And I will. One job…the book is more than free.

2. I would pay at least that much for a hard copy at a bookstore, online or off, and not be able to share it among my 3 devices. My tablet goes with me everywhere…so does my library. That is worth the price.

3. Years ago, I started out in the content mills. My first article paid me less than $5. And it didn’t get much better until I got serious about finding quality clients on my own. I worked almost as hard in the mills as I do in real freelancing. But the rewards didn’t stack up.

Now – and I don’t mean to offend anyone here – if I want to be paid well for MY services, why in the world should I want to nickel and dime someone else for theirs? That’s why I have problems using sites like Fiverr and other “get it as cheap as you can” services. I would be asking them to do something that I will not do, that I escaped from. And in my opinion, it perpetuates the “cheap labor” mentality that plagues much of our industry.

I would be offended if someone asked me to write an article for $10, $20 or even $75. Even $100 is at the very bottom of my threshold for a short, simple article. I would turn it down in a heartbeat…and have.

There are legitimate ways to save money, mostly on expenses. (Books and education are not expenses…they are investments.) Even for webhosting, don’t use free hosting, but you don’t need to sell the farm either. However, even then there will come a time when you need to get some skin in the game.

If I buy a book for $.99, especially because it WAS cheap, and I don’t read it, I’ve wasted less than a cup of coffee.

But when I pay a fair price, I will read it. If I don’t, I’ve squandered both my money…and my time. And that is something I cannot afford.

When it comes to quality education and instruction…for that I will happily pay a fair price. For example, my COS membership has paid for itself. And more.

Just my opinion; but I’m sticking to it.”

Here is a link to Steve’s website. http://www.maurer-copywriting.com/